


The Angel of Death

by ShanleenKinnJaskey



Series: Angels and Demons [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Amnesia, Angst, Angst and Feels, Assasin for the giants, Dark Nico, F/M, Feels, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I Made Myself Cry, I will go down with these ships, I'm Sorry, M/M, Nico Feels, Nico's fake death, Prisoner of the Giants, SOLANGELO FOR THE WIN!, What Have I Done, Will's in love, cute annoying Percy, poor Percy, so many feels
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-12
Updated: 2015-05-03
Packaged: 2018-03-01 03:13:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2757437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShanleenKinnJaskey/pseuds/ShanleenKinnJaskey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico di Angelo died in the battle to defend Olympus from the Titans... or so everyone thinks.</p>
<p>Flash forward to the seven demigods aboard the ship, plus a healer- Will Solace. When Percy is captured by a masked bandit and servants of Gaea, his friends head to Rome to save him. But to their surprise they find a certain supposedly dead demigod, whose mind has been warped to hate all but one of them- supposedly the weakest of all.</p>
<p>What happens when you can't remember anyone from your past, when the only thing you know except for pain is the face of the last person who tried to save you?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. You Might Get Out Before The Devil Even Knows You're There

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chrissyeccly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chrissyeccly/gifts), [astrarisks](https://archiveofourown.org/users/astrarisks/gifts).



> Hey, it's me. This story has a really good plot line that I can't wait to write more for. I promise it's not going to be anything like my other Solangelo fics, which were just written for comedy and shipping purposes. I've realized that the only kind of fanfic I can reliably write is the kind with lots of plot twists and shockers and maybe just a little shippiness.  
> Okay, you got me, a lot, but the shipping isn't the main point.
> 
> So anyway, I just wanted to explain how exactly the giants came back. Though I love Rick Riordan, I don't think that he covered that particular topic very thoroughly (in fact, he didn't explain it at all except for Alcyoneus)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title is from "If You're Going Through Hell" by Rodney Atkins.

_"How have I come to this?_

_How did I slip and fall?_

_How did I throw half a lifetime away_

_Without any thought at all?_

_This should've been my time_

_It's over, it never began_ _..._ _"_

_-Janet Jackson and Elton John,_ I Know The Truth

 

_"Once I thought my innocence was gone_

_Now I know that happiness goes on_

_That's where you found me_

_When you put your arms around me_

_I haven't been there for the longest time..."_

_-Billy Joel,_ For the Longest Time

 

**Nico**

 

They all think I'm dead.

Well, I have to give them credit- my death was faked pretty well if I do say so myself.

I lazily sit against a pillar in the Colosseum, waiting for the demigods to get here and try to save the boy we have trapped in the jar. _Percy Jackson_ , I think his name is, _the son of Poseidon_. He put up a huge struggle, but I eventually subdued him, just like Enceladas did to me during...

I shut down those kinds of thoughts, feeling the scars on my stomach as I get up. _No_ , I remind myself, _some thoughts are not made to be dwelt upon_.

I hear the creaking of the ship above me. I smile, revealing my brilliant white teeth. We crippled the Argo II when we captured Percy Jackson, and even with Leo's help the ship's just been kind of listless since then. Jason Grace may claim to be the leader, but the giants know that the crew of that ship won't survive without the Son of Poseidon's annoyingly resilient spirit to keep them together.

Something creeps into the back of my head, a thought of a thought, the barest whisp of an image, but then disappears just as quickly. I try to hold on, but I can't. Whatever Enceladus and the monsters have done to me has screwed with my mind. Everything is wrong- I can feel that, at least- but every time a memory from before _that day_ shows up in my mind it disappears before I can linger on it. I don't know what I thought about the demigods before then- I just remember someone with blond hair trying to save me...

- _falling falling falling SOARING falling_ my brain says _falling GOLD falling DARKNESS pain pain pain-_

_-falling falling pain pain darkness TARTARUS torture ice cold pain cold cold cold GIANTS falling endless endless JUST END IT endless darkness dark pain pain-_

_NO_ , I practically scream at myself inside my head,  _DON'T EVEN GO THERE! IT'LL ONLY MAKE IT HURT MORE._

I flick my hand to the ground and skeletal soldiers break through the ground. I no longer have to concentrate- the dark powers of the giants bolster mine. I don't know why, and I don't really care. As long as I can defeat the demigod scum who left me to the giants, I don't care how I do it.

It's time to wreak havoc on the demigods; it's time to spill their blood on the ancient stones.

 

**Will**

 

As I lean against the railing to the ship, looking over the edge, I spot someone in the ruins of the Colosseum. Someone with black hair, just like Nico. I shake my head, trying to knock away the thoughts, but I can't. Nico's dead- I watched him die with my own eyes. My heart twists at the thought.

Annabeth walks up behind me. "You okay, Will?" She asks, worry in her eyes.

"Yeah," I say, "Just..." My voice trails off. It's probably just me, but I still haven't said it. It's been a year since he died defending Olympus, and I still can't bring myself to say those three little words: ' _Nico is dead_.' It feels like if I do, I'll have given up all hope of him coming back. They all understand it, and they've been especially careful since Percy was captured by that silent, masked bandit and Gaea's other minions.

She nods. "I know what you mean, Will," She says. I can see the hurt in her eyes, the anguish. I know it's no use trying to comfort her, as it's still no use trying to comfort me even after a year of grief.

Not that Nico even knew I liked him- one of the many things I regret.

Leo takes a swipe with the Wii controller and we start heading down, the other four demigods trudging up the stairs to the deck. The look in all their eyes is the same, even Piper and Jason, who barely know Percy- a look of utter defeat. Well, at least they have the slightest glimmer of hope in their eyes; it's more than I ever got.

As we get closer and closer to the ground, I start to pick out details, like the figure's short black hair, black clothing, and long black sword. _Even the gods can't be_ that _cruel,_ I think, realizing how much the person looks like Nico di Angelo. It's just my luck that the giant's newest undead minion looks so much like the-

" _DI IMMORTALES_!" I scream, startling everyone as we coast to a hover above the field and a rope ladder drops down the side of the ship, "HE CAN'T BE HERE! THERE'S NO WAY IN HADES HE CAN BE HERE!" _  
_

"Oh, we're in deep crap now," Leo whispers as he sees the demigod who comes out to meet us, swinging his sword and walking at a leisurely pace as if he has all the time in the world. He wears an evil grin on his face, but even the shock of seeing him with this expression doesn't distract me from the rest of his body, which even though it's strong enough to hold his huge dark sword is strangely bony, even emaciated looking. His evil grin and intimidating stance don't cover up the look in his dark, liquid eyes. I look at them and it's like I'm drowning in a pool of endless pain.

Nico di Angelo smiles when I lock eyes with him, and this time it's an easy, natural smile, not an evil grin like before. "Short story, Will Solace? I'm not dead."

And with that I lose control. It's like my body says  _Screw it, we've been waiting for three years- we're done with this crap,_ and my legs sprint me over to Nico. I find myself kissing him, and he entwines his fingers in my hair, his lips pressing back against mine with a passion. All my worries lift away. He's not dead, I'm going to be alright, we're all going to save Percy- my thoughts are cut to a jittering halt when I feel the touch of cool metal against my throat.

My heart plummets. _No_ , I think, _this can't be. This isn't the Nico I know..._ , but when I open my eyes, I find Nico's knife at my throat, his grip on my hair as hard as steel. He breaks off from me. "You're an idiot, Will Solace," he says with a sneer, but I catch the look in his eyes, which contradicts his words. His dark, regretful eyes seem to be trying to say " _I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."_

Either way, I've made a huge mistake. Now the giants have two hostages instead of one, and Nico di Angelo as their loyal servant.

 _No, Leo,_ I think, _NOW_ _we're in deep crap._


	2. The Path to Heaven Runs Through Miles of Crowded Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NOT DONE YET!
> 
> Title came from the song "It's Time" by Imagine Dragons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this chapter is almost guaranteed to be confusing.  
> Let me explain a couple of things (if you don't mind spoilers):  
> Nico was captured by the remnants of Kronos' army during the battle to defend Olympus and taken to Tartarus, where the Titans warped his mind and destroyed most of his memory of anything before the day he was captured. His friends thought he was dead, including Will Solace, who grieved over his death.  
> Hazel knew almost immediately that he was dead (though she didn't know how he'd died) and cried for a little while after the end of the Titan War.  
> When Nico captures Will, his memories start coming back, which means FLASHBACKS in the next chapter!

_"And I am feeling so small_

_It was over my head_

_I know nothing at all_

 

_And I will stumble and fall_

_I'm still learning to love_

_Just starting to crawl..._ _"_

 _-Great Big World,_ Say Something

 

_"I'm only a man with a candle to guide me,_

_I'm taking stand to escape what's inside me._

_A monster, a monster,_

_I've turned into a monster._

_A monster, a monster,_

_And it keeps getting stronger."_

_-Imagine Dragons_ , Monster

**Nico**

I feel the memories trickling back in.

- _falling falling SOARING falling pain pain GOLD pain falling DARKNESS falling falling_ my brain says _dark light WILL SOLACE light dark light dark-_

Somehow I know that I'm going to collapse any second, and that I have to complete my mission from the giants before I do, but don't want to end this kiss. It's only the second time I've interacted with demigods since  _that day,_ and the first positive experience. I don't ever want this to end, I just want to stay in... _Will's_ arms forever, my fingers entwined with his golden hair, but I know what will happen if I don't.

I spot a knife in Will's pocket and pull it out without him noticing. Without hesitation I put the knife to Will's throat.  _Remember, Nico,_ I remind myself as his eyes fly open in shock,  _You've got to play this off for Otis and Ephialtes._

"You're an idiot, Will Solace," I sneer, holding him in that position with my empty hand twisted into his hair with a death-grip (if you'll pardon the pun, sorry) and the knife at his throat.

I see the understanding look in his eyes and nearly go back on the plan. He doesn't completely hate me, unlike the rest of the demigods, but who cares about them, anyway? As far as I'm concerned, they all abandoned me to my fate. Everyone except Will, who ran after me, and is now the one I'm having to hold hostage. As if the gods haven't already punished me enough, now I'm having to take the hostage the one guy I can remember positively, and he's probably going to hate me forever. Just my crappy life.

"Step back," I announce, "One false step and he gets it."

They all quickly comply, even that annoying repair boy Leo Valdez, though he doesn't go without a comment. "Hate to agree with him, Solace," He said, trying to sound light-hearted, "But he's got a point. Sometimes you can really be an idiot. Then again, so can we all." He chuckled, but he couldn't keep the slight edge of fear out of his voice.

There I go again, terrifying everyone. I was the perfect candidate for this job as the giants' demigod errand boy- as the Son of Hades, I was a natural at being dark and antisocial. Nothing like Jason Grace, one of the Seven, or Percy Jackson, who always had a smile on his face and a kind word- I scrunch my eyes together for a second, pushing those thoughts away. As soon as the flood of memories caused by Will Solace breaks through my carefully constructed walls, I'll collapse in pain and be of no use to anyone, especially myself.

- _darkness darkness falling pain DEATH pain hurt KHIONE how dare she falling falling darkness-_

"Put your hands above your head, Solace," I order. I feel the slightest bit of remorse over this, unlike when we captured that annoying Jackson the other day. I can't remember the son of Poseidon ever doing anything for me. In fact, the first and last thing I remember of him was that day when he was running away in the background and into the Empire State Building while four Hyperborean giants closed in on me... _No, no, NO_ , I think, _Please don't come out now_.

Will puts his hands over his head, and with only the tiniest bit of concentration I raise some skeletal warriors around the other demigods. I release my grip on the son of Apollo's hair (I know a bit about these demigods' pasts, thanks to the giants, so I know their parentages) but I keep the knife at his throat. "Move it, Solace," I order, "Don't make any sudden movements or I'll summon an entire  _army_ to kill your friends." He gets moving, as I know that as a hero he cares more about his friends' lives than his own.

I resist the urge to laugh bitterly at the thought. Hero? I'm never going to be that selfless. I can't remember what I was like before _that day_ , but I'm betting I sure wasn't a hero.

As I reach the entrance to the tunnels, the pounding in my head growing louder and louder, I hear the daughter of Pluto's voice over the melee. 'NICO!" She screams, "HOW COULD YOU?"

 _Easy,_ I think. There is no one in this world I'd sacrifice myself for. No one came to save me during those long, dark months that I was held in Tartarus- why would I try to save them? She deserves the reward she's getting- to have everyone she cares about ripped away from her. They _all_  do.

_-pain loneliness torture HELP ME WILL pain darkness falling PLEASE death JUST END IT pain pain pain-_

Except, maybe, Will Solace, the only one who cared enough to try to save me that day.

 

**Annabeth**

 

Okay, so now I'm feeling really useless. I couldn't stop the bandit from taking Percy, and now another demigod is disappearing while we take care of the skeletons Nico summoned.

Oh gods, Nico di Angelo is alive! For the first time in my life, I don't know how to process a piece of information. When I first met her, Hazel told me that his soul was in the Underworld. Now that I think about it, if Nico had been alive but in the Underworld he should have been at his most powerful, and been able to fight off the monsters.

Though it pains me to think it, Nico must be doing this of his own free will.

I slash through the final skeleton. The dust clears, and Will's gone. The only clue (though quite an obvious one) is a trail of dry, pearl-white bones leading from where Nico and Will had been standing into one of the crumbling tunnels. It's quite clear that he wants us to follow him.

"So, Annabeth and Hazel," Piper says, catching her breath after fighting so many skeletal warriors. Her multi-colored eyes flicker with anger as well as a bit sorrow, "Anything you want to tell us about Nico di Angelo, now that he's **NOT. DEAD**?"

"He used to be a good kid," Hazel says, and I can tell that she's near tears, "I don't know what happened." Frank walked over and patted her on the shoulder.

"He went over to the giants," I say, and am surprised to hear the hard edge to my voice. Well, I have good reason to hate him- he's conspiring with the giants and he threatened to kill us all without a second thought. He took Will hostage, and I'm now realizing that he was the masked bandit from right after the Pillars of Hercules, the one who captured Percy, who I've had nightmares about being trapped in a jar, struggling to breathe even though it's filled with water.

I have no sympathy left for the son of Hades- he's evil through and through.

 

**Will**

 

So here's the truth. Deep down, I think I joined the Argo not just to defeat Gaea but also because I thought I'd find some sign of Nico. I don't think that I ever truly believed he was dead. Well, look at the reward I'm getting- I've become a captive of the giants and a could-very-possibly-be-evil Nico.

It's as if the Fates are laughing at me. I used to think that if I helped people, healing instead of fighting, that I might possibly get to hang on to the people I love, but in reality the Fates are probably just laughing and spitting in my face, yelling, _"LOL, NOOB! You thought you'd get a happy ending with the people you cared about? Well, it don't work that way. We're going to kill off the guy you love, let you grieve for a year, then bring him back and make him almost certainly evil, just to make your life as MISERABLE AS FREAKING POSSIBLE!"_

Yeah, sorry for that little inner narrative. As an ADHD demigod, my brain tends to go in some strange directions, especially when I'm in a tense situation, and if being captured by giants and almost certainly being led to the same horrible fate as Percy doesn't qualify as tense, then I don't know what does.

Then Nico surprises me by talking kindly, which is so out of character for him whether before his death or after his death. "This way, Will," He says, gesturing with his sword to a tunnel off to the right. He's moved the knife from my throat to the center of my back, which makes it less awkward walking for both of us. There's still something about him that's off, and it's not just his eyes. Right now there's a tenseness about his shoulders that suggests he's in pain. Someone else wouldn't have noticed it, but I'm a son of Apollo and a healer- it's my job to notice things like that.

I stop walking and dig into my pocket. I know it's in there somewhere... Nico whirls on me, bringing the edge of his sword up to my chin, where I can admire its very, _very_  sharp edge in all of its dark, soul-devouring glory. I throw my empty hands up in front of me. "What in Hades do you think you're doing, Will?" He barks, and I realize he's been using my first name since it became just the two of us.  _Huh,_ I think, that's interesting.

"I've got something that'll help your pain. You may be my captor, but you used to be my friend. I still care." It takes all my effort to keep my voice from cracking. I look down and dig the gum out of my pocket. I offer him a piece. "Here, Nico- it'll help."

He looks at the piece of gum I'm offering him as if it's something completely alien, yet worth as much as a diamond, and his shoulders slump. The hand holding the sword to my chin starts trembling. I guess I should be worried about what will happen to me if that hand shakes too much, but instead I notice the anguish that he's finally letting show. Anger begins to bubble up inside of me, not for myself, but for Nico. What has been done to him in the past year to make him do things like this?

Keeping the sword at my throat, he reaches out and takes the gum. When his hand brushes mine, I get my answer. The overwhelming darkness inside of him, flooding the inside of his body and filling his bones, nearly knocks me out, and if I'm only feeling a tiny fraction of the pain, then how hard must it be for him? How can he possibly be standing up right now, let alone holding me hostage and threatening me with a sword at my throat?

"What has happened to you, Nico?" I ask. This time my voice _does_ crack.

He chews the piece of gum for a moment, looking off down the tunnel. "Facilis descensus averno," He says, and then gestures with his sword for me to get in front of him. The moment is over- I am no longer his healer, I am his prisoner.

As I walk down toward the horrors below I mull over what he just said. My Latin is crappy- in fact, it's nearly non-existent- but I _know_ that quote; it's famous. I wonder what he means by it, though it can be nothing good.

'Facilis descensus averno' is a quote from Virgil.

It means 'The descent into Hell is easy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Annabeth's POV wasn't supposed to show up at all, but I wanted to include what the other demigods thought of Nico. Just a warning, though- she probably won't show up again for awhile.


	3. One May Tolerate a World of Demons for the Sake of an Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title is a quote made by Madame de Pompadour in the episode "The Girl in the Fireplace" in Doctor Who.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm going to apologize ahead of time for the two quotes instead of one. Let me explain (now that I think about it, I should probably explain all of my quotes. Let me know in the comments if you want me to go back and add explanations in!)  
> Okay, so the first quote is about Nico. I think Nico, in contrast to the other heroes, is more afraid of getting attached to people because he might hurt someone. He is afraid of his good side.  
> The second quote I think just embodies Nico as he uses his powers, sending more and more darkness into him. As he uses it more, the closer he becomes to becoming the thing he hates and (he thinks) loves most- the darkness itself.  
> Also, sorry it took so long for the giants to make an appearance!

_"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate._

_Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure._

_It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us."_

_-Marianne Williamson_

 

_"The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague._

_Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins?"_

_-Edgar Allan Poe_

 

**Nico**

 

Will walks into the cell at the point of my knife, not making any more sudden moves. Thank goodness, because I wouldn't be able to defend myself against him anyway. Even with the help of the gum, I'm about ready to keel over. I manage to close the door to the underground room. I seal the door by using the small disc on the strange Stygian iron bracelet they strapped on me when they first captured me a year ago. The edges of the door disappear, turning into a seamless wall. I suddenly remember another cell just like it down in my father's dungeons that Percy Jackson was tricked into, and the dam breaks, my memories flooding back. I slide down the floor as my mind floods with images and memories that I thought were gone, a few nightmares standing out above all. One in particular fills me with horror and dread- it's the memory of the day I was first captured, that the monsters faked my death and took me to the depths of Tartarus, where the giants and remaining titans waited for a powerful demigod to bend to their will...

_It is the battle to save Olympus from the armies of Kronos. My father fights about twenty feet away, slaying monster upon monster with each sweep of his spear. Demeter and Persephone fight alongside him, taking down the telkhines and Laistrygonian giants._

_Then I see a shield of energy go down around the Empire State Building, cutting off Percy and Kronos from everyone else. I watch as he runs in after Kronos, cleaving through the paltry guard Kronos left behind. I see his mom and his step dad fighting monsters, and I try to  run over to them. Instead I get stopped by a rival demigod, his face hidden beneath a black metal helmet. I run at him, skeletons popping up behind me, and slash at the base of his sword, trying to knock it out of his hands. To my surprise, he parries my blade, returning some strikes of his own. It soon grows into a heated sword battle, and he begins to gain the upper hand. I'm mystified. How is this demigod defeating a child of the Big Three? Then again, I also have to fight the Hyperborean giants that keep running at me as well as his strikes, while he only has me to defeat._

_Suddenly I feel a sharp pain in my back and whirl around to find a burly boy with a icy knife that is steaming with hot blood. With a suddenly stuttering mind I realize that it is_ my  _blood. I sway. The demigod I was fighting throws something into the air and a sort of light Mist surrounds the three of us. I fall to the ground, everything beginning to turn black, and spot Will running towards me._

_He shouts something, but I can't hear it. My stomach is growing wet with blood, and a net of crystals is falling over me. I can't move it, can't move anything- I don't have any energy left in me. Then my mind is floating, floating, floating away..._

_The last I see is Will slashing through a giant, then looking over at me and crying out a silent scream. I can't hear anything anymore. I want to shout out to him, to tell him anything, but I can't. Then I'm gone, my soul fading to darkness._

I hear someone shouting and snap out of the flashbacks, finding myself shouting Will's name. I stop abruptly, and feel wetness on my cheeks. I wipe it off and realize I've been crying. I try to slow my fast, nervous panting, taking deep breaths.

 

 

**Will**

 

I hear Nico start to moan from outside the cell, and I immediately run forward toward the door, which has blended into the wall. Then he begins to scream in pain, and I want more than anything to be out there and protecting him from whatever sort of demon he's facing, whether monster or mental.

"NICO!" I shout, desperately pounding on the wall in a useless attempt to get to him. A tear runs down my cheek, so upset am I that I can't help Nico, who's obviously in so much pain.

Nico pauses, and then lets out a short, horrible howl of pain. "WILL!" Nico cries in a single harsh breath, my name sounding like it's being torn from the end of a horrible dream. There's such raw anguish and pain in that one word, such longing and regret, that I go breathless, my arm freezing in the middle of the act of hitting the wall. I've never heard that much emotion from anyone, especially Nico di Angelo.

I hear the sound of fast panting that quickly slows into deeper breaths as if he's trying to console himself. "Nico?" I ask hesitantly. He's stopped his fit, or fight, or whatever in Hades had been happening, "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," He replies, his voice cracked and broken, and I get the feeling that this is perhaps the truest thing I've ever heard Nico di Angelo say to me or to anyone, in fact.

There is a silence for a few moments, and then I hear him swallow hard. "Goodbye,  _Solace,"_ He says, a bitter edge to his voice. I notice that he's referring to me by my last name again. My heart stutters a bit- any connection we may have gained since I discovered he was alive is now crashing down around me, "Next time I'm bringing the twins."

Then I hear the sounds of Nico getting up and heading down the hallway.

I go over and sit on the stone bench, confused. By the gods, Nico di Angelo is hard to read! One moment I think I'm getting somewhere, finding out and understanding more about what happened to Nico in the past year, and the next he's cold and indifferent again. What will it take to find out why Nico is acting like a traitor, when I know he isn't?

Well, in order to do that I have to talk to him, maybe even get him inside of this cell so I can read the darkness within him...ah, I have it! I grin, and mutter a curse under my breath. Not cussing, but cursing Nico di Angelo so he can't stop rhyming. Either version of Nico, past or present, would never let that stand.

I lean back, grinning like an idiot despite the horrible circumstances I'm in. Just imagine the look on Nico's face when he starts talking- priceless!

 

**Nico**

 

I leave Will behind in that cell for good reason, emotions swirling through my head. If you think about it, that's the best choice for both of us. It looks like I'm taking initiative for the giants, while it protects Will from all the monsters that roam these corridors. I fight so,  _so_ many, and rarely escape unscathed- I have the scars to prove it- and I won't leave a defenseless Will in the center of them. The few memories about him, Percy, and Annabeth that have come back (as well as information I've been gathering about the other four demigods) tell me that though the rest of them are good at hand-to-hand combat, Will Solace is hopeless with any weapon except for his bow and arrow (that knife in his belt he can only use for cutting bandages and such), which even if he has it, it would be of no use in these somewhat cramped corridors.

I step into the twins' planning room and taste bile in my throat when I see today's outfits. The twins are in silver pants that are practically dripping with rhinestones and glitter, red shirts patterned with scenes so vulgar I can't even begin to describe them, and hot pink sandals. As usual they're bickering.

The twins disgust me so much, even though they are my masters. They are vulgar and just want to see the world burn, as well as wanting to turn it into some form of entertainment. They relish bloody deaths, and find them funny. They're horrible, and perhaps I hate them more than any other giants or demigods alive.

 _-death pain I NEED TO HELP WILL darkness_ _ugly_ _GET AWAY falling torture ice ice ice-_

But probably the reason I hate them most is that I know that I am the reason they are alive. The demigod who captured me and made everyone believe I was dead was actually Khione, the goddess of ice. Don't discount her on anything- she's the one who raised the giants. Well, it was her and Hyperion, down in Tartarus, who spilled my blood- the blood of a demigod child of the Big Three- and woke the giants. That means every giant (save Alcyoneus) has a part of me. It's a horrific thought.

"So, demigod, we have news that Octavian is sufficiently riling up the Roman demigods. What is your report?" Ephialtes demands.

Before answering, I find myself thinking about Octavian, the centurion of the First Cohort. I've met him a few times before, and I know he's a legacy of Apollo. I can't help comparing his bedraggled straw-colored hair, watery blue eyes, and skinny limbs to Will's bright, intelligent eyes and golden hair. Octavian is like a watered-down, faded photograph of Will Solace. Whatever makes the children of Apollo special, Octavian doesn't have it.

Then I reply to Ephialtes. "The son of Apollo is in a cell. Hey, doesn't that make you guys feel swell?" I ask, then cringe.  _FLIPPING CHILDREN OF APOLLO, WILL SOLACE IS GOING TO GET IT!_ Doesn't he realize that me speaking like this will anger the giants?

"Excuse me, demigod?" Ephialtes demands. I see his eyes starting to burn with anger, and I swallow.

"The Son of Apollo cursed me so that I rhyme," I say, eager to get back to Will Solace and have the curse reversed. "Now he'll get some  _personal_ time." I give the word 'personal' an evil sort of inflection, so that they think that I mean something along the lines of torture. I don't, but the son of Apollo is definitely getting the message.

Ephialtes grins. "Take as much time as you want, demigod." He never refers to me by name- that would imply that I'm an actual person, not just a tool they can use to defeat other demigods.

I nod, bowing (tasting bile in my throat from being forced to pay homage to these vulgar twins), and walk out of the room purposefully. As soon as I get out of the giant's hall I start to run. As mad as I am at Will for nearly getting me tortured because of a giant's wrath ( _again)_ , I'd rather him not be tortured until he dies.

 

**Will**

 

About fifteen minutes after I curse Nico he returns, opening up the door to my cell and angrily marching in. "Curse me, eh? I'll make you pay! I don't want to rhyme all day!" He says, striding up to me and putting his sword to my throat.

Despite all this, I smile kindly. "Well, Nico, nice to see you finally showing some emotion for once," I say, holding my hands up in the air.

He blinks, and I think I've shocked him somehow. Then he closes his eyes, takes a deep (somewhat annoyed sounding) breath, and opens his eyes again, locking gazes with me. Once again I get a deep look into the stormy pools of his dark eyes. "I was nearly hurt by giants mad," He says, "But managed to save you from them, lad."

My smile falls off of my face. "Sorry," I say, "I didn't realize it would anger the giants. I just wanted an excuse to see you again." I close my eyes and whisper under my breath. The curse is lifted. "It's gone, okay?"

I open my eyes to find Nico about a foot in front of me, staring at the ground, the tip of his sword hanging next to his black leather boots. "I could have brought along the giants with me, which is actually what almost certainly would have happened, and you didn't care? You did it just to see me?" He sounds utterly surprised.

I chuckle nervously, scratching the back of my head awkwardly. "Oh, yeah, that was slightly idiotic of me. I wasn't thinking."

He looks up at me, and in an utterly shocking move leans forward and kisses me on the lips. I close my eyes, sinking into the amazing warmth of his lips. I've been waiting since I first met him for this moment, and the crazy, strange circumstances don't even faze me. I like, no,  _love_ Nico di Angelo, and with his kiss I am in Elysium.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wrote this trying to explain how the giants' "rebirth" process got jumpstarted, and I thought that if it took the blood of a male demigod and a female demigod to raise Gaea, then it should take the blood of a single yet powerful demigod to raise a giant.
> 
> Poor Nico...
> 
> By the way, who caught the reference to Blood of Olympus?


	4. It's Where My Demons Hide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title is from "Demons" by Imagine Dragons. And I've got to say that song kind of embodies this fic and the relationship between Nico and Will. Just turn on the song, imagine Nico singing it, and voila! I have just given you another layer of the Angel of Death feels.
> 
> Also, "Angel With A Shotgun" by The Cab. I feel that both of these two songs would make great theme songs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, does anyone like my quotes? I'd like your opinions on them.  
> Oh, and please remember to comment, leave reviews, and leave kudos! I'd really appreciate it.

_"_ _In the fell clutch of circumstance_

_I have not winced nor cried aloud._

_Under the bludgeonings of chance_

_My head is bloody, but unbowed._

__

_Beyond this place of wrath and tears_

_Looms but the Horror of the shade,_

_And yet the menace of the years_

_**Finds, and shall find, me unafraid..."**_

_-William Ernest Hemingway,_ Invictus

 

_"This thou perceiv’st, which makes they love more strong,_

_to love that well which thou must leave ere long..."_

_-William Shakespeare_

 

**Nico**

 

This is the best I've felt in a year. So much horror, torture, and fear- none of it compares to the passion in this kiss I share with Will Solace. Energy rushes through me, dissolving the frozen lump of hatred, regret, and sorrow that has rested in my chest for so long. I am floating, soaring away from all of my troubles. For a few blissful, amazing moments I finally feel free.

_-love light WILL oh gods healthiness goodness SOARING love freedom-_

Suddenly I feel a vibration at my wrist, and I break away from Will. "No,  _no,_ NO!"I shout, as the link to my powers cuts in and I'm pulled through shadows and darkness to the giants. I've been summoned, which means there must be a demigod for me to handle. Maybe Percy's had another one of his fits with the poison water in the jar.

Whatever it is I dread doing it. Most of the memories vanished after the big surge in the corridor earlier, but they're trickling back. Percy wasn't all horrible back then, though he was quite oblivious. I don't necessarily want _more_ revenge on him.

_-no please no darkness pain torture KHIONE ice ice ice darkness pain PLEASE NO dark pain ice cold cold cold-_

I take a deep breath as I zoom through the darkness. I'll be back with Will soon, and I can explain everything that's happened to me then, right?

 

When I land I find the twins standing in front of the diagram for their circus, the one that is scheduled to take place tomorrow to showcase the end of Rome.

"Masters," I say, bowing to them, "What do you need?"

Ephialtes grins, displaying his horrible smile. "Why, demigod, I do believe you've met our honored guest today, correct?" he says, and gestures to the third person in the room. I look over and see Khione in all her terrible beauty.

I bow to her as well. "Greetings, Mistress Khione," I say, trying not to let my hatred show.

She nods to someone behind me, and my arms are suddenly grabbed and bound together. "I've heard you've taken another hostage, Mr. Di Angelo," She says, smiling coldly, "And I fear you may be having doubts with this one. I think it's time for another one of our ' _lessons'_."

 

**Will**

 

Nico's fingers have become entwined with mine, and when his bracelet vibrates, I feel it. His lips break away from mine and he screams in protest. I see the terror and vulnerability in his face right before he shadow travels away, his fingers slipping out of mine. He does not want to go.

And now is the most useless I've ever felt. More useless than when Michael Yew died, more useless than when I got myself taken hostage, and more useless than when I watched Nico die the first time. At least the times that my friends died before I could take revenge on the monsters that killed them, or do something good to heal their defenders. At least when I was taken hostage I could listen to Nico, try to figure him out. Now all I can do is sit here, on this cold stone bench, and wait for him to get back.

 

Finally, after maybe an hour, someone stumbles into my cell. It takes me a moment to realize it's Nico, with his shirt missing and blood splattered over his body, deep cuts crossing his back. I can see, to my horror, that they were made by a whip. He staggers into my arms, clutching a bandage soaked in blood to a particularly deep wound in his shoulder. A flood of silent tears pours down his cheeks.

My healer's instincts take over, just as they always do when I see someone I care about in pain. I lead him over to the bed and sit him down, then place my fingers in between the lattice of cuts on his back. I hear a sharp intake of breath- the skin must be tender there; it definitely feels hot beneath my fingers. I close my eyes, feeling the darkness within him wash over me. My fingers turn cool as my healing energy flows into his agony-ridden body. To my surprise, the darkness recedes a little as my energy heals his wounds. Nico lets out a hiss of relief.

Then I rip off my jacket and begin tearing it into strips, soaking them in nectar from a small container from my pants pocket and using them to bandage Nico's wounds.

Eventually I finish to the best of my ability (given the supplies I have) and sit down on the bed next to him. His body sags heavily into mine, some of the tension in his shoulders melting away. I find myself lending strength to him, holding him up.

I feel his breath make the shape of words on my neck rather than actually hear him say them:  _Thank you._ Then his head settles into the nape between my shoulder and my neck, and his hair brushes up against my chin. I wrap an arm around his shoulder, feeling the muscles pulling taut beneath his scarred olive skin, and realize how small he is compared to the rest of us demigods, except maybe Hazel. He seems so much larger, more foreboding when he uses his powers- now, he just seems like another demigod searching for comfort from the darkness waging inside and outside of him.

I'm suddenly struck by the fact that Nico is two years younger than me, a mere fifteen years old. This dark warrior, this hero and martyr of the Titan War, this assassin and spy for the giants- he's almost a child.

His breathing eventually grows slower, deeper, and I realize he's fallen asleep. I don't say anything or try to move him- that would just wake him up, leading to more pain and agony to his wounds that I just can't put him through. He seems peaceful when he's sleeping. I hope he's not having nightmares.

 

**Nico**

 

For the first time in a year, when I fall asleep, I don't have nightmares. I sleep a deep, peaceful slumber untouched by demons or pain. All I have is a warm, _good_ feeling inside, as well as the familiar scent of cinnamon and jasmine- the impossible scent of the Camp Half-Blood infirmary, and of course therefore Will.

_-goodness nice WILL i love you PLEASE DON'T LEAVE warmth cinnamon HOME yes amazing gold warmth light-_

Then suddenly I am woken up and yanked away from the warmth. I scream out in pain, and look up to find the angry face of Jason Grace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter was so short. The next scene has to be separated into a new chapter because of certain differences in mood. There's gonna be a lot of awkwardness when the other demigods show up and find Will helping Nico, who seems like he's not so evil after all...


	5. It's Too Cold Outside For Angels To Fly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gods, I'm sorry it's so short. I'll update it tomorrow, I promise. Really sorry, guys, please don't be mad at me.  
> And also, the characters will probably seem a bit OOC at first. I'll explain their actions in a bit, and tell you why they've been acting so...callously and viciously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so the first lyric is from Nico's point of view when thinking about Will.  
> The second quote will come into play more later, but it's Will's. Part of the reason he wonders that is because he led the demigods to Nico, but the other...well, like I said, we'll get to that later.

_"Your eyes, they shine so bright_

_I wanna save that light_

_I can't escape this now_

_Unless you show me how..."_

_-Imagine Dragons,_ Demons

 

_"Am I part of the cure?_

_or am I part of the disease?"_

_-Coldplay,_ Clocks

 

**Will**

I wake up a few hours later to the other demigods blasting open the cell door. No idea how- it was probably a mixture of Hazel's underground powers and Leo's explosives- but that doesn't matter.

What does matter is that my next few thoughts are, in this order:

1\. _Oh gods, is Nico okay? If any shrapnel gets in his wounds I'm going to murder them!_

_2\. Where is Nico?_

_3\. He's asleep...against me._

_4\. Without his shirt on._

_5\. And I'm only in my t-shirt. How in Hades is that going to look to the other demigods?_

_6\. Oh look, I've finally been rescued!_

Great priorities, right?

Hazel runs over and throws me out of the way with remarkable strength, while Annabeth and Jason march up to Nico. Annabeth catches Nico before he topples off the bed, and at first I think they're being kind, but then Jason grabs one of Nico's arms and sticks his gladius to his chin. Nico screams in agony as some of his freshly healed wounds are partly torn open, and my heart twists.

"STOP IT!" I shout, "What has gotten into you guys? Can't you see he's in pain?"

"Not as much pain as he's going to be in if he doesn't tell us how to find Percy," Annabeth says angrily. Well, at least I think it's supposed to be angrily. I catch a glimpse of her face as I step to the side of Hazel (who, for all her beneficial qualities, cannot properly keep a adrenaline-driven, in-love son of Apollo from sneaking off to the side of her) and the grief in her eyes is palpable, raw.

I see blood slowly soaking through the bandages on Nico's back and I have to resist the urge to bolt over there and smack Jason Grace's sword out of his hand. No matter what Nico is (and it's not evil- look at him, he's being tortured, for Hestia's sake!) he doesn't deserve to get treated like this! I can see the pain etched in the planes of his faces- he's about to keel over. In fact, he's starting to fall right now...

I push past Hazel, sprint forward, and catch him as he falls backward, unable to use his sword to lean on as it's gone for some reason. I slip an arm under his shoulder and brace him so that he won't fall over. "You idiots!" I cry, glaring at them with enough force to kill Gaea herself, "You ripped open his wounds in your reckless attempt to get information on Percy! Do you have no shame? You're acting like monsters yourselves!"

And I think that it's this more than anything that snaps them back to themselves. Jason's sword tip wavers and then falls to the ground, while the other demigods all drop their weapons. Piper even lowers her cornucopia (though I'm not sure what she was going to use that for in the first place). The shock of being compared to monsters, especially considering how much we've all suffered at the hands of them, shows plainly on their faces as the realization of how they were acting sinks in.

Hazel has the greatest expression of horror on her face. After all, Nico is the person who introduced her to Camp Jupiter, and by extension Frank, Percy, Jason, and everyone else. Normally she's the sweet one on the team, so when she realizes that she helped Jason and Annabeth inadvertently hurt her brother she's disgusted with herself. "I'm sorry, Nico," she whispers while no one else speaks.

His lip curls when she speaks. I realize that whatever the giants did to his mind is still affecting him. It's like the wound from an Imperial Gold blade- it's eating at his soul, the very essence of what makes him good. But unlike an Imperial Gold blade, I don't know what to do. I'm at a loss for how to heal someone (for the first time in my life), and it's the one person I want desperately to heal. However, despite all that Nico seems to be getting better, turning less evil. Like I said, it's still eating at him, but at a slower rate. We've found Nico, saved me before the giants could do anything like what they did to Nico, and now we're on our way to save Percy. Things are finally looking up.

And then Nico begins to scream, and he doesn't stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me and my quotes... When will it ever end?


	6. Standing In The Light Of Your Halo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title is from "Halo" by Beyonce. 
> 
> Okay, so I know the two quotes are kind of contradictory, but here's my explanation:
> 
> Nico thinks that no one can help him, that he's lost to the darkness and evil he's done forever. However, when Will helps him and heals him, he feels like Will will always help him and never let him down.
> 
> Does that make any sense?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Favorite quote so far?
> 
> Also, I'm really sorry at how slowly the updates have been appearing. I've been sick, and have had midterms, and so...Chaos. Sorry again.
> 
> Also writer's block on this particular fanfic. Sorry. Again.
> 
> Kay, so this chapter is NOT DONE YET!

  _"Just one more time before I go_

_I'll let you know_

_That all this time I've been afraid_

_Wouldn't let it show_

_Nobody can save me now..."_

_-Imagine Dragons_ , Battle Cry

 

_"I was a heavy heart to carry_

_But he never let me down_

_When he had me in his arms_

_My feet never touched the ground..."_

_-Florence and the Machine,_ Heavy In Your Arms

 

**Nico**

I plunge deep into a world of fire and mist and smoke and frost, falling through shadowy demons and ghosts. Images of people I care about pop up in the current, just to be ripped away like paper, scenes of them helping me that I thought I'd long ago forgotten- Bianca, Hazel, Percy, and of course Will. Faint glimmers emerge of the rest of them, hallucinations to aid my misery. Oh how Akhlys must be feasting right now, my misery and sorrow one of the biggest feasts she's had in ages.

My emotions spill out of my body, coming off in dark waves. I see what's happening as if through a misty curtain. The demigods buckle over, clutching their heads. Even Will is cringing, though the waves of darkness seem to be affecting him less than anyone else. I hear muffled screams, but I can't tell who from.

_-darkness death pain torture PERCY WILL dark dark dark pain despair falling why why PLEASE DON'T LEAVE why why falling pain-_

I feel a hand on my arm, and glance over. Will is looking at me with a mixture of love and horror on his face. How can he still love me after all that I've done, after all that he must be experiencing now? My greatest faults and regrets, spilled out for all to see...everything that I went through in Tartarus at the hands of Khione, the remaining Titans, and the giants, and everything that I've done since then- capturing Percy and sticking him in that jar of poisoned water, threatening Will, and working with Octavian at Camp Jupiter. And now there's everything from before the day I was first captured, from before my Fall. My crush on Percy (Dear gods, I had a crush on that son of Poseidon? Why?), the loneliness and mistrust of other demigods, and Bianca. Oh, I haven't remembered her since the Fall. My poor sister...how could I have forgotten you? How could I have forgotten any of you?

Then, something snaps, and I lose the physical world. The mist and fire is replaced by endless darkness. I want to scream. What is happening to me, and how, and why?

Will, where are you?

**Will**

 

"Oh my gods!" I shout, not caring what anyone thinks as Nick sinks to the floor, his form passing through me. He's literally insubstantial, his body just shadows. I quickly step aside. I have no idea how to handle this- my nectar and ambrosia are gone, and normal cures like bandages and medicine won't work on him when his body's like this.

"What's happening? Is Nico okay?" Hazel screams. It seems that she's the only one who cares abut Nice as much as I do.

"I think he overreached his boundaries," I say, trembling slightly. I'm trying not to freak out, trying to stay calm and figure things out, such as what is happening to Nico. I want to save him from whatever is happening, whatever's destroying him from the inside out, but I'm worried that if I try too move him it either won't work or just make it worse.

Staring at the floor, I make a decision. "I'm going to have to stay," I mutter, almost to myself but not quite.

"What?" Annabeth sputters, "We can't lose our healer. Not when Percy's life is on the line!"

"Sorry, Annabeth," I say, "But I can't leave him." I look up at her, seized by a fierce determination. "You saw what he's been through in those visions, what tortures those giants have inflicted upon him! How do you expect me to just leave with you, knowing I'm abandoning him to such a fate? I don't think he'd be able to survive such a betrayal of trust intact. For the sake of both his psychology and his...um...( _how do I say 'body' politely_ , I wonder) physicality, I need to stay and watch over him."

"You do know that you'll have to go through some of the same things that Nico did, right?" Jason asks concernedly.

I swallow nervously and look over at Annabeth. The hard look in her eyes has softened, replaced by a mixture of concern and understanding. She gives a small, silent nod in response to my unspoken question, and I, in turn, nod to Jason. Nothing can shake my resolve now- I won't let anything get between Nico and I ever again.

Not even the threat of unimaginable tortures. 

 

**Nico**

 

Darkness. Never ending darkness.

Then a flash, a flicker in the night.

A glimpse of a face, golden, which disappears before anything meaningful can be seen.

The pull of the Hypnos cabin, irresistible to dreamers.

There is Clovis sleeping by the fire. I've been talking to him for the past year whenever I can manage to break away from the nightmares, but there's one question I've never been able to ask.

I finally scrounge up the courage to ask him what I never could before. "Why didn't you tell them?" I choke out, not even a whisper,  more breath than sound, and yet he somehow heard me and stirs.

"What, di Angelo?" He asks blearily. 

"Why didn't you tell them?" This time it comes out as a hiss, acusatory and angry. 

He has no answer for me, and he stares at me, ripped hollow by my question, as I am torn away from the scene and back into darkness.

A scream pierces the darkness, full of anguish and pain.

Something clicks in my head. I know that voice, but I can't remember where from.

The face flashes again, still too fast for me to figure out who it is.

Suddenly a bright tunnel opens up in the darkness and I'm pulled through into someone' s dream. I'm under the sea, standing in the courtyard of Poseidon's castle. There's something familiar about this dream... oh gods,  it's Percy Jackson's. Stuck in that jar, the life slowly being leeched out of him by the poison, all he can do to escape from the misery is to dream. 

The walls of the palace are crumbling down around me, seaweed trailing up the walls like ivy. Plants grow in cracks on the sidewalk. It looks like no one's been here in ages, and I personally know that (thanks to the rest of my memories from before that day coming back) Percy was just here less than a year ago. The palace is devoid of life- the currents even seem to be slower here. Nothing moves, and I can practically feel the loneliness and despair that this place carries.

Then I hear a choked sob from behind me and whip around to find Percy Jackson standing there, his sea green eyes filled with abject misery. There are dark circles under his eyes, and his normally tan skin is a couple shades paler, his face a bit more sallow, hollow. Guilt crashes down on me, knowing that it is my fault that he looks like this. Sure, he was an annoying, oblivious idiot, but my returned memories tell me that he is not the self-centered monster that the giants led me to believe. He cares about his friends' lives more than his own, and he ran off that day to try and save the world- he had other things on his mind besides me. I understand now.

I no longer have a crush on him, though- that distinction belongs to Will.

"I'm sorry," I say, my words carried through the water on the current. I have no idea how I can talk underwater, but since it's Percy's dream I don't question it.

He flinches at my sincere words, and his eyes focus on me for the first time. "Nico?" He asks, his features contortions into a confused and shocked expression, "You're alive?"

I nod, unsure how else to respond. How do I tell him the truth, that I was the one who kidnapped him and left him in that jar? The guilt grows worse and worse, the sour taste of regret growing in my mouth.

Before he gets the chance to say anything else, a scream rips into the shared dream, echoing through wide, empty courtyard.

_-sadness pain torture DEATH darkness falling falling demon monster WILL save will night falling pain pain pain-_

"What was that?" Percy cries out.

Like being stuck by a bolt of lightning, I realize who the scream belongs to. "WILL!" I shout, terror racing through me. What's happening to him, and why am I not there to stop it?

_-dark light dark light WAR gold light dark pain dark light light light WILL light light sun gold song HOME warmth light-_

I pinch my arm. "Wake up!" I shout desperately. Percy backs up a step, bewildered by my reaction. And yeah, I guess if all he knows about me was how I acted around him back when I was child, then he probably would find the fact that I care so much about Will bizarre. In fact, _I'm_ not sure why I care so much, why my feelings toward him are so painfully strong, why there is a single tear of frustration is somehow trickling down my face (despite the fact that I'm under the sea).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nico, my babyyyyy...  
> What have I done to you?


	7. This Is How An Angel Dies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NOT DONE YET!
> 
> Title does not mean what you think it means...hopefully.
> 
> Title is from "Sail" by AWOLNATION.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so now I'm realizing that if you thought about my story in context with the book, there are so many plot holes in regards to what happened in Rome with the rest of the demigods.  
> So let's pretend like it makes some amount of sense in the context of the book and continue reading, if that's okay with you guys. Try not to apply this to the context of the book and we'll get along just fine.

_"We'll have the days we break,_

_And we'll have the scars to prove it,_

_We'll have the bonds that we save,_

_But we'll have the heart not to lose it._ _.."_

 _-OneRepublic,_ Marchin On

 

" _You're gone, gone, gone away,_

_I watched you disappear_

_All that's left is a ghost of you_

_Now we're torn, torn, torn apart,_

_There's nothing we can do,_

_Just let me go, we'll meet again soon..."_

_-Of Monsters And Men_ , Little Talks

 

**Will**

 

I won't pretend like it doesn't hurt, that I don't scream. But with every blow, every magically-enhanced cut, I grit my teeth and remind myself that this saves Nico from getting hurt, that every day that I'm the one getting tortured Nico is lying back in my cell, slowly getting better.

When I am transported back to the cell each evening with the meager food that they've given me, I nearly deplete my stores of what healing magic Apollo has given me on Nico's unconscious, wavering form. I ration out the canteen of nectar and the small container of ambrosia that Annabeth gave me as they were leaving (she whispered "You'll need it more than us") between Nico and I. I do have to admit, though, that I give him more than I do myself.

Then, every night, I lie down next to him and, trying my best to ignore the pain, try to fall asleep, wondering where my friends are. Hopefully they rescued Percy from that jar he was trapped in and went on to Greece to escape Gaea.

I guess I'm selfish in some ways. In the back of my mind I wish that they'll come back and rescue Nico and I, but that hope gets dimmer and dimmer with every day that passes and they're not here. I'm trying to hold on, but I don't know how much longer I can keep myself from shattering into pieces.

Please,  Nico, come back soon.

 

**Piper**

 

We rescue Percy easily within a few hours, defeating Otis and Ephialtes with the help of Dionysus/ Bacchus, but when we go back to find Nico and Will the tunnels are closed off. They've disappeared,  and not even Hazel can sense them. But there's our problem- we can't do anything. According to what will said, I'd have to infer that since Nico has been a tool of the giants he knows where the Doors are. We have nothing we can do while trying to figure out how to save Nico and Will.

It's been three days since we last saw Will. Annabeth set off to find the Mark of Athena earlier this morning,  Percy bidding her goodbye at a restaurant that he says has horrible pizza. He's healed somewhat well from his imprisonment, the color coming back into his skin and his cheeks becoming more filled-out and healthy-looking. He smiles warily now, though, an almost fragile thing. The poison in the water really hurt him, even though he's trying to pretend like he's fine.

Annabeth told me this morning that right before he'd been rescued he'd had a final nightmare involving Nico, and that he's really worried about the Son of Hades (especially after we told him what happened in that cell before we rescued him). He's beating himself up over this, I can tell- he's feeling so guilty that he couldn't save anyone. He feels as useless as I do, maybe even more, no matter how many times we tell him that it wasn't his fault. 

 

**Nico**

 

Suddenly the scene with Percy disappears and is replaced with blackness. Dark, impenetrable blackness. I hope he's gone because he's been rescued, though I can't be sure.

_-dark dark dark GOLD light light HOLD ON now then dark pain dark dark dark WILL PERCY what is happening dark hatred love dark cold-_

Then the waiting sets in. Nothing happens- the face doesn't appear again, nor the screaming. All I can do is wait, a mind suspended in darkness, to awaken and help Will. I feel useless; there is nothing I can do.

_-useless dark dark pain NOTHING no use dark demon NOT WILL-_

Then, finally, after who knows how long, a tunnel appears and I am taken to the Hypnos cabin. To my surprise, I find Clovis awake and sitting in his chair. There are dark circles under his eyes as if he hasn't slept in days, which for Clovis is about as impossible as not _breathing_ for days.

"It's Will," he says tiredly. The exhaustion in his voice is evident. "You need to wake up. His dreams have gotten worse and worse, and he needs you. His love for you is clear."

I swallow dryly. Will _loves_ me? "Then how do I wake up?"

He smiles sleepily. "It's easy." He snaps his fingers and everything starts to fade. "Will's healed you enough that it only takes a small jump-start to wake you up."

Then I snap awake, into the dim light  of a cell. I feel a body next to me. In the dim light I can see that it's Will. I reach over to put a hand on his shoulder and discover, to my horror, that he's not breathing.

_-dark dark falling falling DEATH why why why why-_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suggestions for how to work out plot holes and resolve the Seven-related issues would be GREATLY appreciated!
> 
> I'm so sorry. *sobs* WILL!
> 
> By the way, does the second quote in chapter 4 make sense now? " What thou must leave 'ere long?"


	8. I'm An Angel With A Shotgun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title is from "Angel With A Shotgun" by The Cab.
> 
> NOT DONE YET!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Interesting fact that everyone probably already knows: Nico means "victory". Therefore, Nico di Angelo is "Victory of Angels".
> 
> William (Will's given name) means 'resolute protector'.
> 
> *laughs*

_"Troubled spirits on my chest_

_Where they laid to rest._

_The birds all left, my tall friend,_

_When your body hit the sand..."_

_-Of Monsters And Men,_ Your Bones

 

_"I just want to take it in_

_Even when your fire runs out_

_Will you start it up again?_

_We are fallen."_

_-Imagine Dragons_ , Fallen

 

**Nico**

 

There is no freak out from me. I do not jump up and scream. I do not cry.

- _death death darkness WILL snuffed out light gone WHY why why-_

I cut that thought off. I can't deal with these thoughts anymore. It leaves me defenseless and vulnerable, and I can't use that.

I pick up Will's body, cradling it in my arms. The gashes on his back are crusty with dried blood and his body is battered. He's gone- no, he _went_ \- through Hell, and for what purpose? To save me?

Dear gods, am I really worth that? How could I _possibly_ be worth that pain?

Will, why did you do this for me?

Then the emotions hit me in a tsunami- the grief at losing someone so amazing, the almost physical pain of having Will wrenched away, but most importantly the anger at having finally found somebody so perfect (someone who wouldn't turn their back on me) and having them ripped from my life without warning.

No. Just no. I will not allow this. I will not stand for this.

I stand up, a rush of anger replacing the leaden feeling in my veins. I feel powerful, stronger than I ever have before.

The ground erupts with skeletons, which quickly destroy the wall. I'm not exactly sure of the details- I'm slightly out of it.


	9. Wake Up In A Strange Place Angels Over My Head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So Will's a Nico fangirl. Aren't we all?
> 
> Title is from "U" by Gareth Emery.

_"Wearing your heart like a stolen dream_

_Opening skies with your broken keys_

_No one can blind us any longer_

_We'll run where lights won't chase us_

_Hide where love can save us_

_I will never let you go..."_

_-Zedd, Spectrum_

 

_"I'm too broken to be fixed,_

_I'm too numb to feel the pain,_

_Too blind to see the truth,_

_I'm too weak to walk away._

_But I'm finding strength,_

_I'm finding strength,_

_I'm finding strength, in the arms of someone else..."_

_-_ Koven, Final Call

 

**Will**

Who am I? I can't quite remember. I am a faceless soul, a blemish amongst millions of unclaimed.

Nothing is changing, yet I feel as if I'm moving. Where am I going ? I don't know.

Is that a light I see, or is it merely an illusion? 

 

A boat...

There's a...boat. 

A skeletal man in an...Italian suit? No...a robe. A dark, billowing robe with a hood that obscures his face.

- _Charon_ a voice whispers _guide of the dead_ -

He asks me for a...drachma.

I look down at my hands, confused when I see a golden drachma in my hand.

Where am I?

What is a drachma? 

Why do I have a drachma?

And for that matter, how do I know what it is?

 _-a Greek coin_ that voice whispers again _used for Iris messages and to pay Charon, guide of the dead, for passage to the Underworld_ -

Did I... _die_?

Darkness in my mind peels back, revealing jumbled, splintered memories. There was a boy...Nico di Angelo.

Black hair, dark eyes, pale skin, scarred back...and powerful beyond compare. Darkness rippled beneath his skin and shadows called to him, yet he stood strong.

Who is this boy, this phantom calling me in my past? Is he important, does he know something I don't? 

- _there's something missing, something I should remember-_  

I offer my drachma to the man, who gestures me onto the boat. We glide slowly over a thick river filled with...things.

Broken dolls...

Tarnished rings...

Burnt wedding toppers...

Old charcoal drawings, mysteriously dry...

- _you know this, Will-_

My eyes widen as we pass it. I reach out and grab it, careful not to touch the water though I don't know why.

It's a sketch of a boy...Nico. Younger than the image in my mind, still with a smile on his face, casting warmth over the drawing even though it's so old, so long ago. I turn the page over carefully, and see my own careful printing. 

**Will Solace, 12**

It must have been when he first arrived at Camp...Camp, how could I forget?

The smell of strawberries and the delicious smell of the bonfires after the sacrifices to the gods...

The feeling of sun on my skin and sweat rolling across my back as we competed in Capture the Flag...

The taste of chocolate chip cookies and pizza...

The fresh green of the fields and the stunning rainbows of the lake at sunset...

The sound of the music of the nymphs and the pipes of the satyrs...

Then, flashes of the quest. They go to fast to appreciate any by themselves, but together they create a collage of memory, pain and joy, grief and hope. Emotions splinter, weaving their threads through the past, leaving the way open for new memories to follow, connecting into a tangled web of souls. 

Nico di Angelo...I loved you. Still do, in fact. You are made of shadows and forged by pain, yet you draw me in like the sun does a flower. You are of power, yet you laid your vulnerabilities bare before me and let me help you when you need it.

You know, I once heard that Percy Jackson was the most powerful demigod of this generation, more powerful even than Jason or Hazel. I understand that second part, and I may even agree with that comparison, but no one can hold a candle to you.

You were a dark shadow that escaped notice, drifting behind us all in order to keep from being recognized for what you truly were, what you could truly be.

Now, you are a hero, a demigod who has experienced Hell and lived. You are powerful, a child of darkness, and the Ghost King. You have made sacrifices beyond compare and have gotten through such pain as no one should ever have to bear. I cannot describe your amazingness, your...inspiration.

We have reached the other side. The ferry man silently gestures for me to get out and I oblige, but as soon as my foot hits the black beach a scream pierces the air, one of utter grief and sorrow. It strikes fear in me, so powerful the emotion is, and yet it sounds familiar. Could it be...?

It drops back, giving me not even a moment to glance at my surroundings before it starts up again, louder than before, tinged by anger and raw power.

I am ripped from reality, pushed into an infinity of oblivion, and nothingness claims me.


End file.
